Keyhole lighting device



Jan. 11, 1955 J REAP, JR 2,699,490

KEYHOLE LIGHTING DEVICE Filed March 2, 1951 FIG].

INVENTOR JAMES D. REAP, JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,699,490 KEYHOLE LIGHTING DEVICE James D. Reap, Jr., Berwick, Pa. Application March 2, 1951, Serial No. 213,623 4 Claims. (Cl. 2402.13)

The present invention relates to improvements in a keyhole lighting device and has for an object the provision of a device of this kind which will illuminate the keyhole on a door to facilitate the insertion of the key therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved keyhole lighting device which is a self contained unit adapted for quick and easy application to a door or the like to permit of installation without difiiculty by an inexperienced person.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved device of this character in which the circuit to the lamp is closed upon movement of the lamp reflector so that unauthorized persons will not be familiar with the means for operating the device.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure which permits of facile assembly and disassembly for the purpose of renewing the battery, the lamp or the spring, without disassembling the entire device.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved device of this type which presents a neat and attractive appearance when applied to a door or the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more fully described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the improved device with parts broken away constructed in accordance with the present invention, illustrated as applied to a door and with the lamp circuit open,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and with the lamp circuit closed,

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the improved device with the cap removed,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure l and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 6 is an exploded fragmentary rear perspective view of the improved device with the outer housing and the cap removed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates a door or the like having an inner side 11 and an outer side 12. On its outer side 12 the door has a keyhole 13 and vertically spaced above a through passageway or bore 14 is formed in the door the opposite ends of which open through the inner and outer sides 11 and 12, respectively, of the door.

For the purpose of illuminating the keyhole 13 when desired a keyhole lighting device, generally indicated at A, is mounted in the bore 14 of the door 10 and includes an outer housing 15 which may be of any desired shape but in the present illustration is shown to be cylindrical and open at each end. The housing may be made of metal, plastic or other suitable material and is adapted to be received by the bore 14 of the door. The outer end of the housing 15 has a disc 16 secured thereto by welding or the like if the parts are made of metal or if they are made of plastic the disc 16 may be formed integral with the outer end of the housing.

The disc 16 has a substantially centrally disposed opening 17 therein and its outer marginal edge extends outwardly beyond the side of the housing 15 to provide a ring-like portion 18 which engages the outer face of the door 10 around the bore 14 to prevent longitudinal movement of the housing toward the inner side 11 of the door. The outer face of the inner end portion of the housing 15 is screw threaded as at 19 to receive a locking member or nut 20 which has a flange 21 for engaging the inner side 11 of the door around the bore '14 when screwed home to draw the ring-like portion 18 of the disc 16 into tight 2,699,490 Patented Jan. 11, 1955 engagement with the outer side 12 of the door. The locking member 20 will prevent longitudinal movement of the housing toward the outer side of the door.

A combined lamp holder and battery and spring guide member is generally indicated at B and is positioned within the housing 15. The member B may be a substantially U-shaped frame comprising a pair of legs 22 connected at their outer ends by a bridge portion 23, as clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings. The bridge portion 23 at substantially its central area is enlarged as indicated at 23a and has an opening therethrough for the reception of an interiorly threaded cylindrical lamp holder 24 which may be secured to the bridge portion by welding or in any other suitable manner. The lamp holder 24 has an inwardly extending boss 24a of reduced diameter. The lamp holder 24 removably receives the base 25 of an electric lamp 26 so that the inner end portion of the base 25 and the electric contact or central terminal 27 of the lamp extend into the casing a short distance.

A battery 28 which may be of the conventional flash light type is positioned Within the legs 22 so that its contact button or positive terminal 29 is disposed in adjacent opposed relation to the contact 27 of the lamp 26. In order to normally maintain the contacts 27 and 29 out of engagement a coil spring 30 is positioned within the legs 22 between the enlarged area 23a of the bridge portion 23 and the battery 28. The outer smaller end of the spring 30 encircles the boss 24a of the lamp holder and bears against the inner face of the lamp holder. The inner end of the spring 30 bears against the top of the battery to move the battery 28 inwardly away from the lamp 26 to keep the contact button 29 out of engagement with the contact 27 of the lamp.

'For the purpose of bringing the contact 29 into engagement with the contact 27, an actuator, generally indicated at C and illustrated more clearly in Figure 6 of the drawings, is provided. The actuator C comprises a reflector or shade 31 and a pair of elongated substantially parallel spaced apart arms 32 the inner end portions 33 of which are bent inwardly towards each other at an angle of the order of ninety degrees to the main portion of each arm. The arms 32 are positioned within the housing 15 and are disposed in substantially diametrically opposed relation to one another and each arm is angularly spaced about ninety degrees from the legs 22 of the member B. The inner bent ends 33 of the arms 32 are adapted to have mechanical and electrical contact with the bottom 34 which comprises the negative or base terminal of the battery 28. The arms 32 extend outwardly between the outer face of the battery and the inner face of the housing at substantially diametrically disposed points and the outer end portions of the arms 32 project outwardly through slots 35 in the disc 16 of the housing 15 and the outermost end portions of the arms 32 are bent inwardly as at 36 towards each other at an angle of the order of ninety degrees to the main portion of each arm.

The bent ends 36 of the arms 32 are secured to the outer face of the rear wall 37 of the reflector C by welding or the like. The arms 32 adjacent their bent portions 36 are provided with notches 38 in their lower edges which are adapted to receive the lower edge portions of the slots 35 of the disc 16 to retain the actuator C in its outer position.

The rear wall 37 of the reflector 31 has at substantially the central portion thereof an opening 39 through which the lamp 26 may be introduced to and Withdrawn from the lamp holder. The reflector 31 has side walls 40, a top wall 41 and a forwardly and downwardly extending front wall 42 the lower free end portion of which extends forwardly and upwardly to provide a finger receiving portion 43.

An interiorly screw threaded cap 44 is screwed upon the inner threaded end portion 19 of the housing 15 for closing the inner open end of the housing and a resilient disc 45 may be positioned between the cap 44 and the inner end of the housing 15.

In the use of the device, assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Figure l of the drawings in which position the circuit is open and the lamp 26 is not lighted, in order to light the lamp, the user Will insert his index finger in the finger receiving portion 43 of the reflector.

An outward pull, that is, a pull toward the user on the reflector will cause the arms 32 and the bent ends 33 to move outward or to the right looking at Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.

This movement of the ends 33 will move the battery 28 against the action of the spring 30 and bring the contact 29 into engagement with the contact 27 to close the circuit and light the lamp 26. The battery 28 will be grounded through the ends 33, the arms 32 and the housing 15.

The light from the lamp 26 will be reflected to the keyhole 13 by the shade 31 so that the user will be able to see to insert his key into the keyhole. If it is desired to keep the lamp lighted without retaining the finger in the portion 43, the lower edge portions of the slots 35 in the disc 16 may be disposed within the notches 38 of the arms 32 of the actuator by a slight downward pressure on the reflector when the reflector is in its outer extended position. The parts will then be retained in their circuit closing position as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings and both hands of the user will be free to locate his key and open the door.

When it is desired to turn off the lamp, an upward pres sure on the reflector will disengage the notches 38 from the disc 16 and the reflector pushed inwardly until the contact 29 is disengaged from the contact 27. The spring 30 will assist in this contact disengaging action and the spring will hold the reflector in its retracted position shown in Figure l of the drawings.

Since the spring 30 pushes against the lamp holder 24, it will also hold the member B in position. The legs 22 may be made arcuate shaped in cross section to conform to the curvature of the outer wall of the battery 28 so that the legs 22. will obtain a better purchase upon the battery. The outer end portion of the wall of the housing 15 is thickened as at 15a to engage the legs 22 and arms 32 to reinforce and help support them.

The actuator C may be placed in position by introducing the arms 32 into the housing 15 through the slots 35 as the slots are of suflicient size to permit the bent ends 33 of the arms 32 to pass therethrough. The actuator will be moved inwardly until the bent ends 36 of the arms 32 engage the outer face of the disc 16. The battery 28 will be positioned within the legs 22 with the spring interposed between the top of the battery and the lamp holder and the battery and the member B will be introduced through the inner open end of the casing 15. The arms 32 may be flexed to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to permit the introduction or withdrawal of the battery 28. This flexing of the arms 32 is made possible by the space 15b which is provided by making substantially the inner half portion 150 of the wall of the housing of a reduced thickness.

The provision of the thickened wall portion 15a and the wall portion 150 of reduced thickness forms a shoulder 15d which serves as fulcrum points for intermediate portions of the arms 32 during their flexing movements as is clear from Figure 2 of the drawings. This structure will relieve the points of connection of the arms 32 with the reflector of any strains which might cause a break ing of these connections.

It will be noted that the improved device is a selfcontained structure and that its application to a door or the like necessitates only one alteration to the door, namely, the boring of a through passageway in the door adjacent the keyhole.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An improved keyhole lighting device for doors or the like comprising a housing, a member within the housing, a lamp on said member having a base terminal in electrical engagement with said member and having a central terminal, a battery movably positioned within said member and having a positive terminal adapted to engage the central terminal on the lamp to close a circuit to the lamp, means for maintaining the positive and central terminals apart, a reflector positioned outwardly of the door, a pair of arms slidably mounted in said housing and having their inner ends engaging the negative terminal of said battery and their outer ends extending outwardly of the housing and being secured to said reflector, whereby an outward pull on the reflector will cause the battery to move to bring its positive terminal into engagement with the central terminal of the lamp.

2. For use with a door having a keyhole and a through bore therein adjacent the keyhole, an improved keyhole lighting device comprising a housing adapted to be received by the bore in the door and having on its outer end a flanged portion adapted to engage the outer side of the door, a locking member mounted on the inner end portion of the housing and adapted to engage the inner side of the door and cooperating with the flanged portion to prevent longitudinal and rotative movement of the housing with respect to the door, a combined holder and guide member within said housing, a lamp mounted on said member having a base terminal in electrical engagement with said member and projecting outwardly of said housing, a battery movably mounted within said member, a central terminal on said lamp, a positive terminal on said battery adapted to engage the central terminal on the lamp, resilient means for urging said central and positive terminals apart, actuator means within said housing engaging the negative terminal of the battery for moving said battery towards said lamp to bring the positive terminal of the battery into engagement with the central terminal of the lamp and having a portion extending outwardly of said housing, and a movable reflector attached to the outwardly extending portion of said actuator means for moving said actuator means and adapted to regect the light from said lamp upon the keyhole in the oor.

3. An improved keyhole lighting device for doors or the like comprising a housing, a member within the housing, a lamp on said member having a base terminal in electrical engagement with said member and having a central terminal, a battery movably positioned within said member and having a positive terminal adapted to engage the central terminal on the lamp to close a circuit to the lamp, means for maintaining the said positive and central terminals apart, a reflector positioned outwardly of the door, a pair of arms slidably mounted in said housing and having their inner ends bent at substantially right angles to the arms for mechanically and electrically engaging the base terminal of the battery, the outer ends of said arms extending outwardly of the housing and being secured to said reflector for supporting the reflector, a portion of the inner face of the housing being cut away to provide a space into which the inner end portions of said arms may be flexed to disengage said bent ends of the arms from the battery and to provide a shoulder which serves as fulcrum points for said arms during the flexing thereof.

4. An improved keyhole lighting device for doors or the like comprising a housing, a member within the housing, a lamp on said member having a base terminal in electrical engagement with said member and having a central terminal, a battery movably positioned within said member and having a positive terminal adapted to engage the central terminal on the lamp to close a circuit to the lamp, means for maintaining the positive and central terminals apart,a reflector positioned outwardly of the door, a pair of arms slidably mounted in said housing and having their inner ends bent at substantially right angles to the arms for mechanically and electrically engaging the base terminal of the battery, said housing being provided with slots, the outer ends of said arms extending through said slots and attached to said reflector for supporting the reflector, said arms being provided with notches for receiving the adjacent edge portions of said slots when the reflector is moved outwardly and downwardly with respect to the housing, whereby the positive terminal of the battery is held in engagement with the central terminal of the lamp against the influence of the means for maintaining the positive terminal of the battery and the central terminal of the lamp apart.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,284,570 Bixby et al Nov. 12, 1918 1,404,077 Vince Jan. 17, 1922 2,264,680 Roper Dec. 2, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 240,553 Switzerland May 1. 1946 

